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1901 Map of Spokane

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Spokane
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The Spokane rail hub and the broad Spokane Valley are the focal points of this late 19th-century survey, conducted as the region transitioned into a major inland empire. The city's growing footprint is flanked by Ft. Wright and burgeoning communities like Lidgerwood and Hillyard, while the surrounding landscape is defined by vast flatlands including Fivemile Prairie and Peone Prairie. The era’s industrial strength is visible through the converging lines of the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway.

Beyond the urban center, the map reveals the rural character of the Washington-Idaho border, where Spokane Bridge marks the crossing into the panhandle. Elevations rise toward Mt. Spokane and Mt. Carson in the northeast, while to the south, the terrain descends toward the Spangle and Marshall settlements. Notable water features like Newman Lake and Liberty Lake sit at the edges of the valley, providing a glimpse into the natural hydrology before extensive modern irrigation and development altered the basin.